


Out Here You Should Always Assume the Worst

by honospalosa



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 03:20:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11072988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honospalosa/pseuds/honospalosa
Summary: Varian has fully ingratiated into the Wastes, never quite feeling at home underground in the Vault where he was raised. He knew something had been off there with his daydreaming and constant pacing. Was it VDS, probably but not in the calculated way that they tested for it. After he left, the sun's angry rays and clouds of dust in the air was beautiful in the way it framed the grey skies with its wispy dark clouds. This is what he was missing, the warmth on his face and the hot breeze in his hair. He wasn't fully equipped with the skills to fight back but in time he'd learn to defend himself and find people he could trust in the vastness of this world above the Vault.-----Charon and Varian are stalking around a Metro tunnel just exploring since Varian is tired of being the Brotherhood's errand boy, what they find is not necessarily what either of them expected.





	Out Here You Should Always Assume the Worst

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm not going to post this is any particlar order. I've been writing it on and off for a few months now! I will try and update as much as I can but my creative ebbs and flows as randomly as I can stand! Even though the Lone Wanderer is Varian and seemingly the core character of the story, expect more from Eden. <3   
> Hopefully this seems cohesive, I'm sorta terrible at editing so bear with me <3 There will be several if not A TON of chapters both short and long I have too many ideas and not enough time to realize them all.   
> Love you all, comments kudos welcome and appreciated! <3

The duo find him in one of the metro tunnels. Charon and Varian come across him hobbling around upsetting trashcans and empty barrels making too much noise, he is whispering gibberish and issuing a high pitched whine that is on the cusp of sobbing. Not sure what sort of danger is around in the tunnels they try to avoid him and the noise; thinking he is a feral ghoul. It's an understatement to say that he is dirty, blood spattered with lots of his hair is missing in places where it will be scarred later, his body is emaciated and skin is yellowing with sickness. Charon raises a steady arm to brace a shotgun blast, but the Vaultie stills him, listening and watching the man's movements.   
It's slow and jerking, like his eyesight is compromised and he's running on empty. It's clear when they're closer that he isn't a Feral and he isn't much of a threat as he has no weapon and has close to no clothing on. In nothing but a blood and who knows what stained shirt and old greying boxers with fresh looking blood. The companions share a glance of understanding, Charon lowers his weapon but doesn't put it away.  
Varian fastens his rifle to his back, Charon gives him a side-glance only to be met with a hard look from his companion. He doesn't imply anything more with his expressions but his mind is urging him "Don't be an idiot, don't put it away! It could all be a rouse..."  
The two edge around him not sure of what to make of the man, his naked legs trembling with bare feet across the broken tiles of the metro floor. Varian is closer to the man and chirps to get his attention, the man whips around to face him with more force than either of them expected. His eyes are wild with mismatched dilation, there are dark cirlces under his otherwise beautiful grey eyes and bruises running along his face and upper body in various stages of healing.  
“Help me, get...get them...get them OUT OF HERE GET OUT, OF HERE!” He starts at an almost whisper and escalates to bellowing before he lunges at the vaultie, pinning him back against the metro wall slamming his back against it. He has an expected strength, up close Varian sees that the man has several pin-pricks along his veins of his arms and he has a permanent twitch his left arm; Jet withdrawal. His breath reeks of it, the swallowness of his skin and uneven dilation in his eyes that both frighten and let the blonde man melt in a fell-swoop.  
“You're safe we won't hurt you, it's alright!” Varian says, barely keeping a panicked tone out of his voice. The taller man trembling looking over the vault suit, he must've faintly recognized who he was.  
“You're not safe, you're too PURE GET OUT!” he turns to Charon who is leaping over fallen turnstiles to get to his employer quicker, get him out of danger. “YOU! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!”  
He screams it as Charon barrels into the frail man, his limbs flailing wildly as they both go down, Charon has the man's face pressed to the uneven tiles, arms wrenched up behind his back. The man is wailing through shallow too quick breaths, “help them, please. please...sisters help them! I'm nothing, help..help them.” before he mutters and his eyes slowly close and he's passed out beneath the large ghoul his arms splayed motionless.   
“Charon!” the vaultie hisses, “get off him!”  
Charon let's his weight off of the guy and his arms fall to the ground gone limp, when he looks up to his employer he already has a syringe of Med-X uncapped and jams it into the thigh of the pitiful man, still twitching and muttering. His shorn nails scraping on the grime smeared metro tunnel. Varian is rummaging around in his pack, kneeling with it between the two. Charon stands and steps around the corner to scout any other threats, what is left of his skin is prickling.  
He knew that the people of the Wasteland were cruel and unwielding, preying on those who made easy marks. The musculature of the man who'd been raving could've easily been a Caravan guard or a Brotherhood of Steel member, the way he was built; abuse was eroding him away. It was a constant out in the Wasteland, if the man was lucky he'd die right there.  
There was another short “ah!” from Varian as he pulled out Fixer, a purified water and an old pair of pants from his pack. The man was stirring again, making muted groans of coming to. His eyes fluttered open for a second to see the kind eyes of the vaultie staring back at him and Charon's gigantic form only feet away.  
He put his hands up to show he was unarmed, but laden with necessities.  
It didn't convince him.  
He shot up and in one movement the man dislodged the vaultie from his kneeling position and back on his ass onto the tile, the offerings of clothing and help soaring into the air as he was tackled and toppled backwards.  
HE had one of Varian's arms pinned with a knee and the other was fighting against the man who had clearly been abused by Raiders, the incessant blows he was making against his face and neck was apparent. Charon shot and missed him as he rolled the kid on top of him to use as a shield, he yanked him up to his feet to stand, one arm yanked up behind him the other scrabbling at his other that was wrapped around his neck. He dug his own short, dirt encrusted nails into the skin of him.  
“Take another step, I fucking DARE you.” he said thickly.   
Charon stopped dead in his tracks but didn't lower his weapon.  
He hadn't missed, the man bled freely from his shoulder, back and the side of his face, he'd been hit by some of the buckshot.  
“Please don't....” Varian had a pleading voice now.  
Charon stooped to lower his weapon to the ground, put his hands up slowly his clouded blue eyes never leaving the grey hued ones, still unevenly dilated and wide.  
Varian could feel his labored breath against the crown of his head, ruffling the longer hair he'd grown over the past few months. He could easily have been only inches from Charon's height, but he even towered over the vaultie.  
“I.... Plea- no, I need..no they need to be. I'll show you, where...They need.” he was losing consciousness again, “help them. Please. I just, just... I escaped, they'll find me. I... Im.. The distra- a distraction, get them out. Please, please... Charon...” and his knees started to give way before the vaultie.   
“Wha... How do you kno... hey!” as he turned to him he started to fall, barely catching him under his arms his weight leaning heavily against his chest. Varian turned in the loosely held circle the guy had him in. He'd almost unfooted the heavily armored man, but had gotten his arms around him.   
Charon stood stock still, not quite sure what he'd heard the man  
“Charon, who is he?” the Vaultie struggled to keep the man upright as Charon stepped forward to slump the man carefully to the ground, his chin lolling on his heaving chest, a string of spittle hanging from his lips.  
He didn't respond, he didn't know who the guy was but he surely knew who he was.


End file.
